Artefact Hunting Vandals Strike Historic Church Site in Britain

Matthew Lockwood, 'Vandals strike historic church site' BBC 21 September 2026. 

Campaigners fighting to save a Grade II listed 15th Century church tower say they are to step up security after the graveyard was vandalised. Hertfordshire Police said holes were dug in the ground of Thundridge Old Church of St Mary and All Saints, near Ware, on 16 August. Officers have released CCTV footage showing a group of men in the area with what appeared to be metal detectors behind them[...] The site is a scheduled monument, and it is illegal to use metal detectors or disturb the ground.

This is a truly disgraceful act of disrespect and a blatant violation of the law. Desecrating a scheduled monument and historical graveyard for selfish plunder not only damages irreplaceable history but also deeply insults the community working tirelessly to preserve it. It is incredibly disheartening to see such disregard for heritage and sacred ground, and those responsible must be held fully accountable. It is time to consider what should be done about the lack of any curbs on artefact hunting and collecting and the unregulated use of metal detectors as current half-measures are doing nothing to curb such selfish behaviour.

STOP - Stop Taking Our Past.